AAR Schedule

[patcoghm]

Just got this email for the new schedule

Air America Radio's New Network Lineup



Beginning September 18, 2006, radio powerhouse “The Young Turks” will bring a new sound and energy to the progressive airwaves as Air America Radio Network’s new morning drive-time program.

Hosts Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz and Jill Pike will move their popular politically based talk show to broadcast on the nationally syndicated Air America Radio Network and XM Satellite Radio. Recognized as Sirius Satellite Radio’s first original programming and the first live video web TV show.

5am-6am The Mark Riley Show
6am-9am The Young Turks
9am-12noon The Sam Seder Show
12noon-3pm The Al Franken Show
3pm-6pm The Randi Rhodes Show
6pm-8pm The Rachel Maddow Show
8pm-9pm “Politically Direct” w/ David Bender

9pm-10pm “Ecotalk” w/ Betsy Rosenberg

 

[FightingIrish]

Hmmm... looks familiar

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,47211.0.html

 

[fred flintstone]

Oh, my! A new thread on a topic already being discussed!
Heaven forfend.

Is this the end of civilization as we know it?

Notice: No listing for 10pm-1am. Not even a TBA (Peter Werbe filling in).

The did mention Jerry Springer with links "free audio" from his program. Sort of like a going out of business clearance sale.

 

[FightingIrish]

Oh, my! A new thread on a topic already being discussed!
Heaven forfend.

Is this the end of civilization as we know it?

Notice: No listing for 10pm-1am. Not even a TBA (Peter Werbe filling in).

The did mention Jerry Springer with links "free audio" from his program. Sort of like a going out of business clearance sale.

Evidently, Springer's show is still around, according to his Cincy sales team:

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/LIFE/609150343/1005

 

[fred flintstone]

Cincinnati Post:

Officials at the Springer Show's Cincinnati sales team say almost all their 50-some affiliates are staying with the show, while Springer will be dropped at the New York affiliate in favor of Seder's show.

OK, I haven't checked station websites on this but 50+ stations for Jerry seems a little high given the number of stations taking Stephanie Miller and given he gets almost no clearances in the West (when it's morning drive).
And "almost all" are staying with Jerry? ???
What? Are they counting the stations that take the weekend "Best of Jerry" shows in that 50+ total?

If Jerry had gotten that kind of vote of confidence from the local stations, would AAR have dropped the show from the main network?

Is anybody out Cincinnati clearing Jerry next week (when the new network schedule goes into effect)?

PS: I see they STILL have KLSD, San Diego's Jon Elliot listed in their schedule in Mike Malloy's time slot. Scribbler posted two weeks ago he had received an email from Elliot in which Elliot said he "had no idea that KLSD nor Air America had me listed at all in Mike's spot." And there's the bulk email AAR sent to it's mailing list yesterday with nothing listed for 10pm.

AAR has announced "affiliates" when they were just talking to stations and did not have deal. Maybe they announced Elliot the same way. And maybe Elliot, Laura Flanders, Peter Werbe and whoever else they've approached a reluctant to make a deal at this point with the bankruptcy question still on the table (and maybe no paychecks coming).

Bottom line: You can't believe anything radio types say. AAR's flacks. Jerry Springer's sales people. Anybody.

At least they should take Elliot off the website schedule. How incompetent is that?

 

[FightingIrish]

Cincinnati Post:

Officials at the Springer Show's Cincinnati sales team say almost all their 50-some affiliates are staying with the show, while Springer will be dropped at the New York affiliate in favor of Seder's show.

OK, I haven't checked station websites on this but 50+ stations for Jerry seems a little high given the number of stations taking Stephanie Miller and given he gets almost no clearances in the West (when it's morning drive).
And "almost all" are staying with Jerry? ???
What? Are they counting the stations that take the weekend "Best of Jerry" shows in that 50+ total?

If Jerry had gotten that kind of vote of confidence from the local stations, would AAR have dropped the show from the main network?

Is anybody out Cincinnati clearing Jerry next week (when the new network schedule goes into effect)?

PS: I see they STILL have KLSD, San Diego's Jon Elliot listed in their schedule in Mike Malloy's time slot. Scribbler posted two weeks ago he had received an email from Elliot in which Elliot said he "had no idea that KLSD nor Air America had me listed at all in Mike's spot." And there's the bulk email AAR sent to it's mailing list yesterday with nothing listed for 10pm.

AAR has announced "affiliates" when they were just talking to stations and did not have deal. Maybe they announced Elliot the same way. And maybe Elliot, Laura Flanders, Peter Werbe and whoever else they've approached a reluctant to make a deal at this point with the bankruptcy question still on the table (and maybe no paychecks coming).

Bottom line: You can't believe anything radio types say. AAR's flacks. Jerry Springer's sales people. Anybody.

At least they should take Elliot off the website schedule. How incompetent is that?

I posted some stuff about Jerry here:

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2006/09/liberal-talk-radio-stations-shuffle.html

It is high. He doesn't have 50 affiliates, as far as I know. The station listing on his site is extremely out of date. A good guess would be around 20 or so stations.

It's not that Springer didn't have enough clearances. The average AAR listener just didn't seem to like him. Plus, AAR is high on developing Seder, and this seemed a logical place to put him.

Jon Elliott is going back to weekends, and Peter Werbe's interim show will be on KLSD, which makes me wonder if Malloy is coming back or not. And Elliott has been hosting on AAR the past two weeks. I still don't understand why they have Jeaneane on there (she left in July). Then again, they, like many others, are slow to update their website.

 

[fred flintstone]

I posted some stuff about Jerry here:

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2006/09/liberal-talk-radio-stations-shuffle.html

It is high. He doesn't have 50 affiliates, as far as I know. The station listing on his site is extremely out of date. A good guess would be around 20 or so stations.

It's not that Springer didn't have enough clearances. The average AAR listener just didn't seem to like him. Plus, AAR is high on developing Seder, and this seemed a logical place to put him.

Jon Elliott is going back to weekends, and Peter Werbe's interim show will be on KLSD, which makes me wonder if Malloy is coming back or not. And Elliott has been hosting on AAR the past two weeks. I still don't understand why they have Jeaneane on there (she left in July). Then again, they, like many others, are slow to update their website.

Curiouser and curiouser.

I'd assumed that AAR would have sounded out the stations before replacing Jerry with Sam Seder.
Springer's people claim "almost all" current stations will stick with Jerry.
If AAR had gotten an indication from the stations which take Jerry that they want to keep Jerry, they wouldn't have dumped him.
The fact that AAR dumped Jerry suggests the stations which currently take him were not pushing for him to stay - or were not asked.

Anyway, your blog has a great summary of what the stations are doing; a really good reference.
It looks like Stephanie and Lionel will be gaining ground.
AAR will have to sign God to get any traction back in the 9am-12pm and 10pm-1am slots.

And whatever their flacks say, money must be tight at AAR with the way they are putting those two weekend shows into the weeknight schedule. AAR is keeping a presence in early evening only because so many stations bump Randi into that slot. Rachel Maddow is not setting the world on fire. Fortunately for AAR, neither is Peter B. Collins. But there does appear to be an opportunity in early evening for a decent show and somebody who knows how to sell it.

And there is still the on-going question of who gets the late-night slot from AAR?
And whether it matters any more, given Lionel's clearances.
Here's an off the wall though: Phil Hendrie's sitcom bombed. Maybe he regrets quitting his "day job" for TV. Could AAR persuade him to come back? In their shoes, that's somebody I'd call.
But given how they seem to operate - and recycle people - I'd put down money they called Mark Maron instead.

 

[FightingIrish]

Jerry's sales reps are just spinning. Who knows who's sticking with Jerry (except at least WSAI).

"Politically Direct" and "EcoTalk" come with their own sponsors, so this is an economic move. And it looks like some stations are actually picking up one or both shows. The hour-long time length is also convenient for stations to slot in to fill gaps.

Early evenings is a tough slot, since many stations delay Rhodes. Peter B. Collins' show is fairly young, and he self-syndicates. This is not easy, as Thom Hartmann and The Young Turks can testify to. Too bad, since it is a very good show. Collins is a solid radio pro. He is also co-owner of his flagship station in Monterey (KXRA), which features no AAR network programming (AAR is on a poorly-run competitor in Santa Cruz).

Maddow came out well in this. She picked up some good stations for her show, including PM drive in Seattle.

And forget Hendrie. He was offered a guest host slot on Howard Stern's Sirius channel and turned it down. He says he's done with radio. No chance of him going to AAR. Besides, I'm not sure of his Premiere contract status.

And Maron is coming back to AAR. Sort of. He'll sit in with Sam Seder on Fridays (kinda like Keith Olberman does on Dan Patrick's ESPN Radio show). Tossing Maron aside was a mistake, IMO. I actually thought he was pretty good.

 

[dampier]

"Politically Direct" and "EcoTalk" come with their own sponsors, so this is an economic move. And it looks like some stations are actually picking up one or both shows. The hour-long time length is also convenient for stations to slot in to fill gaps.

Really? With titles like these, I predict audiences will flee to something else (if they are even listening then). EcoTalk in particular sounds preachy and sounds like something the NPR affiliate would run once a week. A weekday strip on this topic? They will have to prove that this works because I am skeptical. If AAR doesn't do something quick, Lionel is going to cash in big time with new affiliates. And if that doesn't happen, there is always the Nosferatu of libtalk, Alan Colmes.

And Maron is coming back to AAR. Sort of. He'll sit in with Sam Seder on Fridays (kinda like Keith Olberman does on Dan Patrick's ESPN Radio show). Tossing Maron aside was a mistake, IMO. I actually thought he was pretty good.

He's a nice guy but I never thought of him as radio talk show material.

They have the rest of the year to demonstrate they can put together a strong lineup of talent if they want to keep considering themselves a full-service network. Otherwise, I'll be sitting with Fred and suggesting AAR dump the "network" and instead be a syndicator of individual shows and let reality set in - stations are already cherry-picking the cream of the crop. Don't flush cash down the drain hiring talent that can't do entertaining talk radio and won't get clearances anyway.